Spiral of Betrayal
by Sereknight
Summary: This introduces my original character Syphe. War is not only fought on the battlefield but also within the heart of every individual. Someitmes, a simple decision can change the fate of a friendship- possibly forever.


Betrayal  
Sage fell into shallow water, grunted and jumped to a crouch, his armor creaking as he moved. He tried to look in all directions at once, managed only one; there was no immediate danger. He could feel the presence of his enemy; even worse was the fact that they were once friends. Sage dashed for cover as he caught glimpse of some movement. He sat against a boulder, covered by its shadow, waiting with his katana drawn. The rustling sound grew closer. Sage turned the blade of his sword to reflect the rays of the sun. Looking at the blade, he could see the image of a tiger moving among the shadows of the trees. He sighed, but hadn't seen the figure in the adjacent tree.  
Genjuro jumped from his position in the tree, shouting; spear extended. Sage looked up in surprise; dove opposite Genjuro, and took a defensive posture, just as the spear penetrated the ground. Genjuro spun, his armor creaking as he moved, and laughed. At that moment, Sage knew that he was up against fate.........  
  
  
Time: Midday  
Place: Kobe, Hyogo-Japan  
It has been ten days since Sage entered the Skills Competition. He was in his cabin resting, his body still aching from the experience. Cye and Peanut were in the main room, waiting for him.  
"YO, SAGE," Peanut bellowed as he slammed his fists against the table, "get up already. We have a long days journey ahead of us."  
Sage slowly got out of bed. He really didn't feel getting up , he was so exhausted from the tournament. The sudden sound of scratching awakened his alertness. It came from behind the door. Sage slowly made his way towards it, grabbing his sword from the shelf as he went. He wasn't going to take the slightest chance of an ambush. He opened the door. Nothing. As he was about to shut the door, he glimpsed an ominous light moving down the corridor.  
"What on earth?!" Sage spoke with curiosity.  
The light suddenly stopped and began to move in reverse; directly towards Sage. As it neared him, it increased its intensity, before stopping directly in front of him.  
Shading his eyes from the intense light, Sage plunged the blade of the katana into the light. Nothing. As he withdrew the blade, the ominous light began to envelop it. Panic-stricken, Sage desperately tried to reclaim his weapon.  
"Let go." he demanded.  
The light continued up the blade. In a desperate attempted to free his possession, Sage pulled with all his might. As if by magic, the sword was released from the light. Startled, Sage fell back. Now the light was above him. Sage stared in horror as it began to envelop him as well.  
"Noooooooooo!" he bellowed, his voice resonating throughout the house and beyond the mountains as well. Cye and Peanut ran upstairs immediately, afraid that something terrible had happened.  
"What the…..?!" Cye exclaimed as he rounded the corner.  
Peanut, unable to stop in time, jumped, clearing the top of Cye's head; landing in front of Sage.  
Sage was panic-stricken, waving his arms about wildly and shouting. Cye and Peanut shuddered at the sight. They had never seen Sage act so uncontrollably. Fear began to overcome them as well. As Sage continued, an armor-like image formed around his body, flashing in and out of sight. Then, as if on cue, the flame stopped. Sage collapsed, breathing heavily.  
"What was that about?" Peanut asked looking frantically about him.  
Cye, looking at him contemptibly, responded, "Don't know. Never saw anything like it period."  
Sage's eyes suddenly opened. Cye and Peanut, both shocked from the movement, jumped back a few feet. Sage gathered himself. He looked about himself carefully, then silently walked down stairs and out the door. Cye and Peanut followed.  
  
  
Time: The same time as before  
Place: Sapporo, Hokkaido-Japan  
Syphe sat near a waterfall, his purple armor absorbing the heat of the sun's rays. HE had been traveling the continent for several years now, seeking refuge from a band of bounty hunters. Now, it seems that he had finally found his shelter.  
"Magnificent...." Syphe said gently, the word harmonizing with the sound of the water. A gentle breeze frizzled his medium-length, purple hair. He had never seen such a beautiful sight in years. The land was lush with vegetation. Maple trees and basswood were common to the area, mainly along the outer ridges of the valley. Coniferous trees were mixed with Sakhalin spruce and Yezo spruce trees to create a dense undergrowth. In the center lies a small lake, an extension of the waterfall, full of fish and other amphibious creatures. Syphe's purple eyes remained fixed on the water, wondering whether or not his friend discovered his power.  
  
  
Time: Twenty minutes later  
Place: 40 miles outside Kobe  
Sage, Peanut, and Cye were walking into downtown Osaka; unaware that they were being followed. Peanut and Sage were walking slightly faster than Cye, talking about the strange event that took place in Sage's home; Cye staring at the sky.  
"You mean to tell me that I was covered by some kind of mysterious armor?" Sage asked with sarcasm.  
"Yeah man," Peanut replied, acting out the sequence, "it was really freaky. You kept screaming and waving your hands like this."  
Sage acted surprised, though he knew the truth. "I wonder if Syphe noticed?" he wondered silently.  
Suddenly the sky grew dark. Cye and Peanut looked up in surprise while Sage looked at a building adjacent to them. The wind began to increase as bolts of lightning struck surrounding buildings, shattering glass and sending debris in every direction. Civilians, hoping to avoid the destruction, ran to their homes.  
"Now what....." Sage spoke sternly, unaware that a shadowy figure was watching him from an alley.  
The attack came from the right. Sage dove to his left, just as a sickle-tipped chain rushed passed. Standing up, Sage stared at the enemy, who glared back.  
"Well, well," the figure began, "glad to see that you dodged my attack, WARRIOR. No mortal has ever done that."  
"HA... Don't flatter me with such rubbish." Sage bellowed tearing his clothes off, revealing an armor-like suit, "C'mon AND FIGHT!!!"  
The warrior suddenly stepped back.  
"What's wrong? Are you afraid?!" Sage shouted sarcastically.  
The warrior rushed forward, whirling the sickle-tipped chain wildly. Sage jumped the first attack. As he landed, Sage lunged, right fist leading, hoping to catch the warrior off guard. The attempted; however, failed. The warrior caught Sage's fist and countered with a reverse punch to Sage's ribs, sending him to the ground.  
Sage had never felt such a blow, not even in the Skills Competition. He slowly raised off the ground, gasping for air as he did so. He must have anticipated that.... he thought to himself.  
"Tsk, tsk," the warrior spoke, amused, "is this all the power you have."  
Cye and Peanut watched attentively from across the street. They had never seen Sage take such a beating.  
Sage was taking blows left and right, none landing on the warrior. Sage could tell that he was an experienced fighter- for whenever he made a move, the warrior seemed to always be one step ahead of him.  
"What is...... your.... name?" Sage asked, his breath ragged.  
"Call me........ Jann."  
"Okay, Jann." Sage said, an idea dawning on him. "Your pretty good against an unarmed warrior. Now let's even up the odds."  
Jann looked at him, baffled. What harm could HE do?  
Sage looked at the sky and shouted, "Armor of Halo, Dow Chi!!!"  
Suddenly lightning struck around Sage. Jann stared with wide eyes as Sage transformed into his samurai battle armor; then shaded them as the armor emitted a blinding light.  
"You....you're....Him?!" Jann stammered, "You're THE Sage of the Halo?!" Sage looked at him, surprised. When was he ever popular.  
Jann took advantage of the momentary distraction. He tossed the sickle at Sage; catching him in the chest as Sage's mind wandered adrift. Sage stumbled from the impact.  
Looking around him, Sage realized that Cye and Peanut were still in the area; astonished by the unfolding event. He decided to try something. Wielding his Nodachi, Sage jumped into the air; subconsciously thinking of an attack. Jann stared at him, bewildered.  
"Armor of Halo...." he shouted as he raised the sword high above his head, "Thunder....bolt...."  
Jann's body trembled at the awesome sight.  
"CUT!!!!!!!!"  
Lightning bolts collided with Sage, surrounding him and his sword. His armor emitted a greenish aura as he attacked Jann. The blade of the sword struck down, slicing through Jann's armor. Jann screamed as his body split under the blow, before finally collapsing on the ground and turning into a puff of smoke. Sage, standing in his battle pose, reveled in triumph.  
"Awesome!!" Cye exclaimed, running over to the now-exhausted Sage.  
Peanut strolled over to him in a semi-concerned fashion. "Nice work."  
Cye and Peanut stared at Sage's samurai battle armor. On the left shoulder pad was a symbol similar to a stylized lightning bolt.  
"What's that?" Peanut and Cye asked simultaneously.  
"It's the Japanese symbol for wisdom." he replied, staring at the armor.  
The three boys looked at the surrounding area. Most of the buildings were partially damaged from the lightning strikes as well as from the battle. Sage turned his back to the terrible sight, dismayed.  
"What's wrong?" Cye asked.  
"I don't think this is over." he replied, as he turned to face him. Sage looked at the gateway that Jann had come through. "What if I were to go through it….." he thought to himself. After several minutes of silence, he decided to go into the gateway.  
"Cye, Peanut," he began, "you two should stay here."  
They nodded their heads in agreement. There was no way that they were any match for beings that are similar to the guy Sage defeated.  
Without further delay, Sage hurried into the gateway.  
  
  
Time: Three months later  
Place: Evil Dynasty, Netherworld  
Sage traveled across the desolate land, confronting thousands of Dynasty soldiers and other mystical creatures. Standing atop a waterfall, Sage could see the final gate that lead to the masters temple. The Temple stood approximately four times the height of the Gate. Sage wondered what kind of ruler lived there. In the distance he could hear sounds of fighting.  
  
  
Time: Same as before  
Place: Several miles from Sage's position  
Dynasty warriors surrounded Syphe, who had mysteriously appeared in the center of the Dynasty. Syphe's armor was tattered, its purple coloration blotched with patches of brown; parts shredded from immense blows dished out by his adversaries' special attacks.  
"Crimson Blast, Burn!" shouted four warriors.  
Syphe, unprepared for the assault screamed in agony as his body absorbed the energy. He stood for a moment before collapsing. Several soldiers, in response to Syphe's helpless state, continued to press the advantage by calling upon their powers.  
"Dragon Blast."  
"Plasma Blade, Shock."  
"Raging Inferno, Engulf."  
"Threads of Destruction."  
The overwhelming numbers and the inhumanly powerful attacks took their toll. Syphe shut his eyes, awaiting his inevitable fate.  
"Senpu-Retzu San!" cried a mysterious voice.  
The Dynasty warriors never stood a chance as the attack hit the ground, destroying everything within a five mile radius, except for Syphe who was in the impact point. Soldiers screamed as their bodies evaporated.  
Syphe finally opened his eyes. His vision was blurred but after several minutes his vision returned to normal. He sat up and looked around, amazed that he was still alive. A person in battle armor stood some distance from him, looking at the sky.  
"Thanx for saving me Sage." Syphe called out, shaking his head.  
The warrior turned around. "Who is this Sage?"  
Syphe's eyes widened as he looked at the warrior. The battle armor looked similar to Sage's except for the coloration, which was a dark-blue.  
"Who are you?" Syphe asked, perplexed.  
"I am Rei of Tranquillity. " the warrior spoke gently, "I live in this realm."  
Rei removed the helmet slowly, revealing long, green hair as a gust of wind blew. The hair fluttered about wildly, mesmerizing Syphe, who was already scanning her elegant figure.  
"Tranquillity!!" Syphe shouted, dismayed, "You're the fabled warrior who defeated Kardis, goddess of Destruction, in most folklore."  
Rei blushed a bright red, embarrassed by the comment. Syphe, looked at her then turned, pretending not to notice.  
"So," she asked, "why are you here?"  
"I'm looking for someone."  
"Who? Sage?"  
"No, Sage and I are to meet near here. Then we are going to battle our way into that huge Temple," Syphe replied, pointing in the direction of the Temple, "and destroy the ruler who is terrorizing OUR world."  
Rei gazed at the ground, thinking of a solution to Syphe's problem. Random thoughts went through her mind. Finally, she raised her head, coming to a conclusion. " I'll go with you."  
"You can't." Syphe replied, jumping to his feet. "I mean, I thank you for saving me, but this is a task for me and Sage. I can't ask you to risk your life."  
Rei stuck her lip out in a mock pout. "I got involved as soon as I saved your life. Besides, I know a lot more about this land than you do. My knowledge of the terrain is essential to your quest; otherwise, your will not win. And my skills will help as well."  
Syphe weighed his options. Let this woman join and possibly get her killed or….  
Syphe made his decision. He strolled over to Rei, revealing his swords as he went. Rei stared at him as he approach. He was about her height, and he was really serious about his so-called task; a quality that couldn't be found in this land. A thought crossed her mind. As soon as Syphe reached her, Rei made her move. Quickly embracing Syphe, Rei pressed her tender lips against his, trembling.  
Syphe froze as Rei kissed him. He had never before felt such passion from another person. The warmth of her lips caused him to tremble slightly, before he freed himself from her grasp.  
"What was that for?" he asked, concerned.  
"No reason in particular," Rei replied, her face bright red, "I guess it's for luck."  
Suddenly Syphe's armor began to glow. Startled, Rei jumped back, drawing her star sword. Syphe, looked at her then laughed.  
"What's so funny!?" she hollered.  
Syphe pointed at his armor then at her, or so she thought. From behind, Rei could hear movement, like a heavy-footed animal. She turned. In the distance, Sage was slowly making his way towards them, his armor emitting a strange glow.  
"Our armors are connected." Syphe spoke. "This is how I knew Sage was in the Netherworld. The glow indicates the presence of another mystical armor."  
Rei spun, wide eyed. "That's strange, why didn't your armor react when I appeared?"  
Syphe opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent, thinking of a logical explanation.  
Several minutes passed. Sage hadn't reached them yet and Rei could tell by Syphe's expressionless face that he was deep in thought. She was about to say something when Syphe suddenly rose.  
"Well," he said, an idea dawning on him, "Sage's armor and mine are opposites. Since Sage wields the powers of light, his armor reacts to my powers of darkness. Which means that your armor wields the same dark power as mine."  
Sage arrived a second later, curious about what he missed.  
"What happened here? Where's the fighting?"  
Rei and Syphe looked at each other then laughed. Sage looked at them, abashed, then removed his helmet, his golden hair fluttered briefly in the wind.  
"It's over." Rei spoke gently.  
Sage stabbed his sword into the ground, upset. Rei stepped behind him and placed her hand on the shoulder plate of his armor. Sage turned his head, his blue eyes staring into her green eyes. The two remained unmoving for several minutes, unaware that Syphe was staring.  
"Um..." Syphe finally said, pretending to clear his throat.  
Sage and Rei quickly looked at him. Rei blushed and removed her hand from Sage's shoulder. Sage turned away from her. Syphe chuckled and walked into the distance. He knew that something like that would happen. Sage and Rei hurried after him.  
  
  
Time: Two weeks later, evening  
Place: Dynasty Temple  
The three warriors had finally reached the Dynasty stronghold. That had battled against overwhelming odds to reach their destination. Sage and Rei walked cautiously through the courtyard as Syphe dashed for the door. He was about to open it, when an energy blast suddenly emerged from behind the door, catching him in the chest. Syphe sailed across the courtyard before finally hitting the gate, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Sage and Rei stared in disbelief.  
A lone figure, covered in battle armor, stood in the doorway, laughing.  
"Such a silly man...." it called out, "rushing head-strong into enemy turf without using caution. Now you will fight me, Janus."  
Syphe rose to his feet, holding his chestplate. The attack singed the armor. "You bastard!!!"  
Syphe charged the warrior again, this time drawing his swords and leaping high into the air.  
The warrior jumped at the exact same moment.  
Syphe stared in disbelief as the warrior neared him, spun his sickle-tipped chain, and sent the chain towards him, wrapping it around Syphe's feet. Syphe watched as the ground rushed to greet him.....  
  
Meanwhile....... In the Temple.........  
Sage and Rei took advantage of the distraction Syphe created and slipped passed the warrior. The main hall was huge- the walls covered with a variety of samurai armor and other weapons. Sage studied each armor individually, noticing the names of warriors that were slain by the ruler.  
"Rei, look at this......" Sage said, standing by a battle-armored, stuffed tiger.  
Rei stood by him, marveling the impressive craftsmanship. "Incredible." Sage reached for the stuffed creature. Stupid. The tiger suddenly snapped at him, barely missing his fingers. Sage pulled his hand back in shock.  
"What the......"  
The tiger jumped, sailed across the room, and landed on a symbol that outlined the floor. Sage and Rei didn't notice the symbol earlier. The area inside the symbol suddenly turned a bright red, then started flashing. Inside, the tiger's body slowly changed to flesh. Sage and Rei stood side by side, swords drawn, ready for an incoming attack.  
Suddenly they saw a flash of light followed by a ear-piercing scream. Sage and Rei ran out the room and headed for the noise, the tiger immediately followed…..  
  
  
Down the hall……..  
Syphe was battling for his life against Janus. The two combatants destroyed the courtyard and waged the battle indoors, Syphe confident that the size of the hall would give him an advantage.  
"Stratospheric Blast" Syphe shouted, running into the next room.  
Janus quickly followed. Stupid. Janus was struck in the chest by the technique as he entered the room. His sickle-tipped chain shattered under the impact. He bellowed in agony.  
Syphe pressed the advantage. He jumped at Janus, arms extended. Janus did the only thing he could. Summoning all his strength, Janus called the hidden power of his armor. He raised his hands to block. Syphe was blasted by bolts of light as he collided with an invisible barrier. His armor glowed a faint white then vanished, before he was flung across the room.  
Now Janus had the advantage. Without his armor, Syphe was no match, or so he thought. Moving his hands rapidly, Janus sent blasts of negative energy at Syphe. Syphe dropped to the ground as the attacks passed over him, destroying the next few rooms. Syphe quickly jumped to his feet and lunged for Janus with incredible speed, but the demon warrior was already calling another shield.  
ZZTTTTZTZT Stars exploded in Syphe's head. He felt himself being thrown across the room again, this time with more speed. He hit the wall, then went through it, wood scattering everywhere. Syphe screamed in pain.  
Rei jumped into the room, swords ready. A moment later Sage appeared. They both surveyed the scene. The room was decimated .Wood was scattered everywhere.  
"What happened here." Sage asked.  
Rei continued to survey the scene then answered the question. "Looks like Syphe lost....."  
Sage gazed at the stairs leading to the throne room. Something inside him urged him on. He cautiously ascended the stairs, ready for any surprise attack. Rei waited at the bottom, watching the exit.  
Thump, thump.......Thump, thump........ Sage's heart began to beat wildly. He didn't know what to expect at the top. A row of candles were to either side of him, dimly lighting the endless staircase. For the first time in his life, he was truly was afraid. His fear had another effect- the adrenaline rush increased his strength ten fold. He continued forward until he finally saw the top. His adrenaline reached its peak. He jumped without thought, landed, and stared. Genjuro was on his throne waiting, his armor displaying a black aura with a white outline.  
"So," he started, "we finally meet again, Sage."  
Sage's blood chilled. What was he supposed to do? Kill his old friend? He stood there, head lowered in thought.  
Chains suddenly wrapped around Sage's limbs, making him immobile. Then they lifted him towards the ceiling. He struggled but the efforts were futile. He looked up in anger and watched as Genjuro moved towards him, spear extended. "Rei!!!!" Sage cried as Genjuro jumped.  
Rei appeared from the darkness and landed in front of sparks flying as the weapons rubbed against each other. Genjuro looked surprised.  
"So, I see you have turned traitor, Rei....."  
Sage, swords crossed. Her sword clashed with Genjuro's spear, Rei brought her sword to her side, stared at Sage, who was staring with wide eyes; then at Genjuro. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do.  
"Genjuro," she said, an idea dawning on her, "I am no traitor. You never told me that you wanted to destroy the mortal world."  
"Hmph." Genjuro replied, shrugging, "My agenda is none of your business. What I do to their world is my pleasure."  
Sage continued to struggle with the chains as the two warriors made conversation, aware that Rei was buying him time to escape. After several tries he finally freed himself. He fell, landing with a loud thud, and drew his swords.  
"Now we fight......." he shouted, enraged.  
Genjuro attacked Rei. His spear rushed passed, opening a wound on her cheek. Rei fell to the ground grasping the wound, weeping. Genjuro laughed as he stood over her, spear raised.  
Sage rushed to her aid, shouting. Genjuro turned to face him and ducked, just as Sage swung his sword, the edge cutting his hair. Genjuro felt the "new look" and jabbed in rage, the butt of the spear connecting with the bottom of Sage's helmet, removing it. Sage stepped back, dazed. From across the room, Rei ran, hoping to catch Sage. The attempt was successful. Now the two warriors stood side by side, ready for the next attack. What surprised them was that Genjuro was nowhere to be seen.  
"Where'd he go....." Rei asked, a tint of fear in her tone.  
Sage was suddenly struck from behind. Rei turned instantly, only to see nothing.  
"Ha, ha, ha......" someone spoke.  
Sage knew it was Genjuro.  
"What's so funny, loser?" he bellowed, looking around.  
"My, my.. name calling..... Is that any way for Earth's savior to speak.?"  
Sage turned again, spun his sword, and stopped. Genjuro was there, barely visible. Sage lowered his guard to touch him.....Stupid. Genjuro faded back into existence at that moment, striking Sage in the face. Sage staggered back.  
Genjuro jumped into the air and shouted, "Wicked Angel of Death!!" Rei and Sage stared briefly in horror then tried to counter the attack with their own.  
"Thunderbolt Ken!!!"  
"Senpu-Retzu San!!!"  
The two techniques merged, and collided with Genjuro's attack, destroying everything in the room with immense power.  
  
Syphe suddenly awoke. He was lying in the water at the bottom of the Temple. He grabbed his shoulder as he sat up.  
"It must be broken." He said in disappointment.  
Standing up, he realized that he fell from the top floor of the Temple. His eyes widened as he gauged the distance. He had fallen eight hundred feet and landed in the sea. He thought himself lucky. The sudden sight of flashing lights convinced him that the final battle was at hand. Head lowered and arms folded across his chest, Syphe focused his thoughts, tuning out the surrounding sounds. Slowly his armor lifted him off the ground. After opening his eyes, he looked up. At that moment the armor increased the speed ten-fold. Syphe smiled sinisterly as he made his way back up the structure.  
Sage and Rei were still locked in combat with Genjuro, whose technique began to slowly out-power theirs. The reason for this was that his powers were increased as he spent more time in the Netherworld. Sage, being a warrior of light, couldn't used the Netherworlds dark powers. Him and Rei weakened as the battle waged on.  
"You are no match for me." Genjuro growled, amused by the sudden twist.  
Sage and Rei continued to use their special powers, knowing that they would die if they stopped. Already the energy blasts were of dangerous power and proportion. The energy began creating little bursts of lightning, a reminder of the critical point.  
Suddenly Genjuro was struck from behind, the impact sending him to the ground. Sage and Rei used the remainder of their strength to force the energy blasts through the roof, burning unwary soldiers and armor alike. Standing up, Genjuro looked back, then froze.  
Syphe was standing there, eyes fixed with his. He had arrived just in time. Now, instead of two nuisances, Genjuro had three- and he knew that was a problem.  
"Want more warlord!?" Syphe screamed, his swords crossed in anticipation.  
Sage and Rei jumped over Genjuro and landed by his side, weapons drawn. Genjuro slowly got to his feet, still shaking from the previous blow.  
"You, in the purple armor....." he began..  
Syphe stepped forward. "That's right, my power is the same as yours."  
Genjuro rethought his strategy. How could a mortal wield the same power as him? Was he the one the legend had foretold? A flicker of a second of thought, though. Syphe was already upon him.  
Rei and Sage watched the raging battle, awe-stricken. Syphe parried most of Genjuro's attacks- few blows landing from miscalculations. Genjuro's attacks seemed to be lacking the skill which he displayed previously. Doubt cluttered his mind.  
Syphe took that to his advantage. He pressed onwards, exhibiting his true strength by suddenly shattering the blade of Genjuro's spear. Genjuro stumbled back in surprise.  
"Now what?" Syphe spoke arrogantly, "Are you no match for a man of your caliber? How pathetic…."  
Genjuro started moving backwards, hoping to gain hold of another weapon. Sage and Rei intervened at that moment. The two warriors jumped high into the air. Syphe looked up, startled by their sudden action.  
"Double Technique….Raging Inferno!" the two shouted in unison.  
The walls of the Temple collapsed as a wall of fire streaked through. Genjuro stared in horror as the attack came his way. This was definitely his end he thought when a shadow suddenly appeared before him, stopping the attack. Sage and Rei stared, jaws open.  
It was Syphe. But why did he decide to save Genjuro from his almost certain doom?  
"Rei….Sage…," he said, his armor glowing a brilliant purple, "I won't allow you to kill Genjuro."  
Sage and Rei landed and streaked towards him, perplexed by his sudden change of heart.  
"What do you mean?" Sage asked.  
Syphe lowered his head, staring at his hands. "I don't know why, but my heart is telling me to let him live. After all, he is one of the few remaining samurais."  
"So," Rei spoke harshly, stroking a thread of hair from her face, "he tried to destroy YOUR WORLD! It should be fair to see him dead."  
Syphe formed a fist then pounded it against his other palm. "You don't understand…. I have the same powers as Genjuro. If he is to be killed, then the evil that is in his heart will awaken the evil in mine. Which means this battle will Never…" he let the sentence trail.  
Sage thought about the situation, taking Syphe's newly acquired knowledge into account. Syphe's statement seemed logical. What if it were to happen? Would he have to kill Syphe as well?  
Sage was suddenly called back into reality, by Rei nudging him. He sighed then looked at Syphe, who was helping Genjuro to his feet.  
"You might be right…." he said at last. "What should we do with him then?"  
Syphe answered without turning, " I'll train him to control his darker powers. Then he could be a valuable ally."  
"But…." Rei suddenly spoke.  
"No, Rei…" Syphe interrupted, "I have to do this. Only then will our world truly be safe." He lifted Genjuro over his shoulder and left.  
Sage stared into the sky, tears rolling down his cheeks. He wasn't sure whether or not he would see Syphe again. After several moments he grabbed Rei by the arms and drew her close, their lips touching. A gentle breeze rushed passed the two. Sage then turned and faced the mountains. He could see a light reflecting towards him.  
"Must be Syphe…" he thought.  
Raising his sword, he sent his own light into the sky. Rei joined him, realizing that this was a new chapter in their almost uncertain future....  
  
  
~End~  



End file.
